Dawn's Arrival
by TheDragonLover
Summary: A young kittypet, barely older than a kit, escapes the twolegs to live in the wild. But, will she survive? Follow her periless journey, if you dare! DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The night was very quiet near the cluster of Twoleg nests. The Thunderpath's were empty except for the occasional monster that strolled down the hot path, still burning with the heat of the day sun. The nests were all dark, and the Twolegs asleep.

A streak of black and white flew across the Thunderpath. A white cat with black on the back of her head along her back to her tail-tip raced through the night, only a bit bigger than a kit. She had light blue eyes and kept stopping to listen for monsters on the Thunderpaths or Twolegs up late at moonhigh. Nothing approached her as she ran beside the Thunderpath, away from the Twolegs.

She sped through the maze of Thunderpaths, turning left, right, left, right. The Thunderpaths never seemed to end, and the cat soon started to pant heavily. But she kept up the pace until the Thunderpaths grew thinner and softer. Soon all that was left was a slightly bumpy path out of the Twoleg territory.

The cat hesitated and looked back at the Twoleg nests. Whatever the Twolegs did when she was gone would not matter to her, but she felt like she was leaving her kithood behind. All that she knew was being torn away by her decision to leave. Finally, she continued on her path across the Twoleg border and out into the unknown.

She passed a bridge over a river that gurgled and flowed with the moon reflected on the surface, its image wavering in the constantly moving water. She didn't give it a second glance, for she did not fancy water and staring at it would cause her to shiver and have second thoughts about going.

As she walked past the tall grasses, unfamiliar to the well cut gardens of the Twolegs, she heard noises everywhere. Twigs snapped, owls hooted, mice scuttled, and many other things crept around under the curtain of darkness. She thought she could see eyes, many different eyes, staring at her through the tall grass. She started to feel scared and longed for the comfort of her mother back in the Twoleg nest she was taken from.

Suddenly, a monster's lights flared up behind her. With the lights off, it had crept up on her and seemed to want to devour her with the Twolegs in its belly. The cat immediately leapt on instinct to her right, and before she realized it jumped straight into the river.

She lost her breath at the shock of the cold water, and she bobbed up to the surface and mewed pitifully, hoping something would hear her. Even getting eaten by one of the Twolegs' monsters was better than drowning. She went under the surface again and flailed her legs helplessly, wishing she hadn't left home.

When she resurfaced, she let out a mournful wail, gargled by the sloshing water all around her. She was being pulled backwards by the river. She tried to grab a stump sticking out of the water, but her paws just grazed it and she was pulled along by the current. She was tugged and pulled by the current, helpless to the raging waters.

She gave one last yowl before she was tugged back under. Her eyes stung from the water, and her lungs were on fire. She started to black out, and she gave up hope.

Suddenly, she felt something tug her shoulder. After a moment, something clamped down firmly onto her shoulder, and she felt herself being pulled up towards the surface. She gulped for the air hungrily as she was carried by something towards the bank on the left of her, where she had jumped from.

When she was safe on the bank of the river, the cat tried to look up at her savior. Something was hunched up beside her, panting heavily. Then, she blacked out completely, and lost consciousness. She only got to see two amber eyes before she gave in to exhaustion.

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Yes, I know it is pretty short compared to my other stories! But, it will get longer, trust me, and besides, it _is _just a prologue. Not really too important, other than the part about the cat being saved. Now, please review so I may continue this wonderful story!

Ja ne!


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The fir forest was silent as Darkcloud pulled the unconscious cat across the forest floor. She wasn't strong enough to pick her up on her back after saving her from the river, so she had to drag her to camp. Her legs were tired from fighting the current, but she kept dragging on.

As she dragged the cat she noticed how unnaturally quiet it was. Usually mice were scampering into and out of their holes, or owls were swooping in and catching them. Maybe even a wild dog howled up to the moon in the sky. But nothing made a sound as she moved along, slower than a worm inching across the ground. She couldn't smell any fresh prey scent, or anything else, other than stale trails. _Am I so noisy that I scare away the prey?_ She thought. _Or is there another reason for the deathly quiet?_

As if to answer her question, a bush behind her rustled. She let go of the cat and unsheathed her claws, cursing herself for not checking whether something could have been following her or if there was a badger hole or any other thing that could be dangerous. She faced the bush and waited for whatever it was to reveal itself. The bush stilled, and she stayed there, frozen. Then, the wind changed direction and flew in her face.

Darkcloud recognized the scent and relaxed. She sat up and bowed her head in acknowledgement as a white tom walked out of the bushes. He was watching her with a look that seemed to say 'You're in trouble'. She walked up to her mate and affectionately licked his shoulder. "Whitefang," she mewed. "Whatever are you doing here?"

Whitefang stared at her, but his eyes softened. "Worrying about you. You disappeared from the nursery, and none of the queens knew where you had gone! I was worried sick!"

Darkcloud smiled and rubbed her black pelt against his shoulder, purring. "Oh, Whitefang, you silly mouse-brain! It's always like you to worry too much!" She chuckled. "I was only going for a small walk around the forest to stretch my legs. It has been too many moons since I've been stuck in the nursery."

A smile tugged slightly at Whitefang's lips, but he said in a stern voice, "The kits aren't to be left alone, Darkcloud. You know that."

Darkcloud blinked and nodded. "Not to worry, for Darkflower agreed to watch them long enough for me to have a small stretch. She also said she wouldn't tell a single soul," she smiled at this. "Including you, Whitefang."

Whitefang sighed and shook his head. "Darkcloud, you shouldn't have left the nursery, even for a small walk. What if you had encountered enemy clans invading on our territory, or a badger? I'm sure you wouldn't be able to handle a small patrol by yourself."

Darkcloud sighed. "It was a risk I needed to take, Whitefang, no matter the cost." She looked up at him. "I can't be cooped up in the nursery forever. Barkstar hasn't said when the kits would be apprenticed, and I couldn't wait any longer." She stretched her legs. "Even now, my legs are still tingling from laying down for all of those moons."

Whitefang chuckled. "Yes, I know. You probably would have snuck out sometime later on if it wasn't tonight. Although, I have to say…" he looked behind Darkcloud towards the unconscious heap. "What are you dragging back to camp? A soggy piece of fur?"

Darkcloud smiled. "No, it's actually alive, believe it or not. It's just unconscious." She told him the story of how she passed the river and found the kit struggling in the river. When she finished, he nodded slowly, thinking to himself. Finally he asked her, "What were you planning on doing with her at the camp?"

Darkcloud looked towards were the camp lay, deep in the heart of the forest. "I don't know…I was hoping we could help her. She's barely older than a kit!" She looked back towards the slowly rising and falling of the soggy pelt. "She needs a medicine cat to treat some wounds she has."

Whitefang nodded. "Then I will help you. It must be hard for a numb cat to drag a limp kit across the forest." Darkcloud smiled, glad he agreed with her. He picked up the kit gently by the neck, and they walked back to camp. The sun was already coming up from the ground, grazing the tops of the trees. Little bits of sunshine came in through the leaves, making the forest glow. When they arrived at the camp's entrance, the sun had finally come up off the ground and was starting its ascent to the top of the sky, where Starpelt hid somewhere. They walked on towards the hollowed out tree, where the leader of WoodClan, Barkstar, resided.

When they stopped at the entrance to call inside, they heard Barkstar say, "Come in." They looked at each other before they stepped inside.

Well, that's it for now! Like it? Then review! Don't like it? Review anyway! w Please, no flames, constructive criticism only! Or praise, that works, too! w Good-bye!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_When they stopped at the entrance to call inside, they heard Barkstar say, "Come in." They looked at each other before they stepped inside._

Whitefang and Darkcloud walked in through the moss hanging over the den's entrance and looked over at the leader.

He was a strong, yet lightweight, dark tabby tom, lean and powerful muscles in his legs and deadly claws hidden away. He was lying down on a soft bed of moss, but when his leaf green gaze looked upon them he sat up and bowed in acknowledgement to Whitefang.

Whitefang and Darkcloud put down the unconscious cat onto the ground gently, and Barkstar looked the sleeping body over. His eyes flashed as he asked the question that both Whitefang and Darkcloud knew he couldn't help but ask:

"And what do you have hear, Darkcloud, Whitefang?"

Whitefang stepped up and bowed his head in respect. "Barkstar, Darkcloud has, well, let her impatience get the better of her." Darkcloud scowled. Whitefang glanced at her, feeling her glare burrow deep into his pelt and burn like the Thunderpaths of the Twolegs on his padded paws. He looked back at Barkstar and continued, "She left the nursery, leaving the kits to be taken care of by Darkflower and Mossfur, and wished to walk through the forest."

Before he could say more, however, Darkcloud interrupted him. "I was just going out to stretch my weary limbs, Barkstar!" She defended herself, stubborn as usual. "I couldn't take staying cramped up in that small Nursery – "

Barkstar raised his tail to stop her argument, and she fell silent. She bowed in respect as he asked the same question Whitefang had brought up before in the forest, "And what would you have done if you were caught in any danger?"

Darkcloud looked down and didn't answer. Barkstar smiled as Whitefang stepped up to defend his mate, an instinct that was unavoidable. "She has been in there since she was told she had kits, and it _is_ almost time for them to become apprentices." He looked at the black she-cat with reassuring warmth as he said, "It seems she couldn't wait for that day to come, but she does have a point. It's almost leaf-fall again."

Barkstar nodded, still smiling. He looked over the lump of fur in front of him and opened his mouth. She smelled soggy, a scent of Darkcloud that was older than Whitefang's, which meant she found the kit, with the Twolegs stench drowning his senses until his mind hissed for her to be taken out of the den immediately. But he remained serious as he said, without taking his eyes off of the sleeping kit before him, "What shall we do with this young cat, Darkcloud? Have you a reason for bringing her here?"

Darkcloud looked down at the small cat, the one she couldn't carry because of her weak legs that were numb from laying down many moons, and sighed. "The poor kit was drowning in the river at the border of MeadowClan's territory. I saved her, but when I was going to interrogate the kit she passed out from exhaustion. She seemed to have come a long way, from seeing the sores on her pads. She needs to be taken care of, Barkstar." She looked straight into Barkstar's emerald eyes. "She needs a home."

Everyone was quiet as Barkstar stared at her, reading into her eyes and, ultimately, into her heart. She wished for the kit to stay; she saved her, and now she can't let it go. He chuckled. 'Her motherly instincts are acting up… such a caring and sweet she-cat.' He looked at Whitefang staring at him tensely, holding his breath. 'You're a very lucky cat, Whitefang, to have her as a mate and companion.' He smiled at them both and chuckled again. "I see you have taken a liking to the young kit, Darkcloud." He paused for a moment, thinking. "…Very well. We shall keep her." He smiled at the triumphant look on Darkcloud's face and the relieved expression on Whitefang's. "And we shall see if she's ready for the clan."

Darkcloud bowed deeply in respect, greatly for her leader's kindness. "Thank you, Barkstar; I will not let her be as soft as her heritage." Whitefang bowed as well before they left the den, leaving behind a content leader and a quiet kit.

Barkstar looked down at the small, frail creature. Her paws seemed to move as if she was running, her breathing was increasing in speed, and her tail flicked as if something troubled her.

Barkstar lie down beside her and put his head on his paws. He closed his eyes and sighed. "StarClan must be consulting with her now…"

Well? How was that? Not really long, I think this might be a long book chapter-wise, but I still like it! Don't you wonder what that cat's dreaming about right now? Well, you'll find out in a moment! …As soon as I type it, that is! ;;


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